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Established by a group of New York businessmen and Congregational ministers, this weekly "religious newspaper" filled its four pages with foreign and domestic news, musical selections, missionary news, advertising, vital statistics, and articles by correspondents. The Independent was greatly concerned with slavery and its extreme position on the fugitive slave law almost destroyed it in its second year. But it survived to publish Uncle Tom's Cabin, and made Harriet Beecher Stowe a leading contributor. Another contributor, Henry Beecher Stowe became editor in 1861 but after only two years was succeeded by Theodore Tilton, who replaced the dead slavery issue with the women's suffrage issue. During the next 65 years, the Independent underwent a number of changes in size, ownership, and editorship, reaching its greatest circulation in 1870, but although circulation decreased in the 1870's and 1880's it maintained an important position among American magazines. Its departments of religious news were strong, and it also gave attention to general events and to questions of the day. There were sections devoted to science, the fine arts, music, education, Sunday schools, farm and garden, and literature. Poetry contributors included Bryant, Longfellow, Holmes, and Emily Dickinson. Cf. American periodicals, 1741-1900.Read more...

Abstract:

Established by a group of New York businessmen and Congregational ministers, this weekly "religious newspaper" filled its four pages with foreign and domestic news, musical selections, missionary news, advertising, vital statistics, and articles by correspondents. The Independent was greatly concerned with slavery and its extreme position on the fugitive slave law almost destroyed it in its second year. But it survived to publish Uncle Tom's Cabin, and made Harriet Beecher Stowe a leading contributor. Another contributor, Henry Beecher Stowe became editor in 1861 but after only two years was succeeded by Theodore Tilton, who replaced the dead slavery issue with the women's suffrage issue. During the next 65 years, the Independent underwent a number of changes in size, ownership, and editorship, reaching its greatest circulation in 1870, but although circulation decreased in the 1870's and 1880's it maintained an important position among American magazines. Its departments of religious news were strong, and it also gave attention to general events and to questions of the day. There were sections devoted to science, the fine arts, music, education, Sunday schools, farm and garden, and literature. Poetry contributors included Bryant, Longfellow, Holmes, and Emily Dickinson. Cf. American periodicals, 1741-1900.